New water uses in the Segura basin: conflicts around gated communities in Murcia

The Segura basin in southeast Spain is characterised by massive over-use of its water resources. Groundwater resources are being depleted, desertification risk is high and the river ecosystem is near to collapse with merely 4% of its original runoff reaching the mouth. Meanwhile, the water cycle has been deeply technologized to meet the needs of an irrigated agriculture that has been growing since the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, the introduction of new water uses for the irrigation of green spaces in gated communities priding themselves on their first-class golf courses is putting further pressure on water resources. These developments are provoking conflicts between sections of society as well as between levels of state administration. This article investigates why reactions to gated communities are so different. To do so, an approach that highlights actors' differing perceptions of the state of Murcia's waterscape and subsequent attitudes towards water management is used.